Tour of Qatar 2011: Cycling Weekly’s coverage index

The Tour of Qatar, starting on Sunday, February 6, offers a relatively easy warm-up for Classics riders to refamiliarise themselves with whipping cross winds and nervous bunch racing, and test their form.

A total of 16 teams with eight riders per squad will line up for the six-day, UCI 2.1-ranked race. The teams are a mixture of Proteam and Professional Continental-level squads.

Last year Belgian Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil) took a surprise overall win after getting into a successful escape on stage two with stage winner Geert Steurs (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator). The fragmented bunch couldn’t bring the race back together in the crosswinds and Mol went on to defend his lead until the race’s conclusion.

Mol is not back to defend his title in 2011 as his Vacansoleil team aren’t on the start list.